The following is an email conversation between The Athletic’s Jason Brough, who writes about the Vancouver Canucks, and Jonathan Willis, who covers the Edmonton Oilers.

Their conversation concerns rebuilding, and how best to avoid doing it really badly.

BROUGH: Jonathan, I hear every day from frustrated Canucks fans who fear “going down the same path as the Oilers.” Since you’re an expert on that particular path, I was hoping you could separate some fact from fiction as it relates to Edmonton’s so-called “Decade of Darkness.” As you know, Vancouver is going to miss the playoffs for a third straight year, and a return to the post-season does not appear imminent. The Canucks have tried to surround their young players with veterans, as a way to guard against entitlement, a losing culture and, frankly, becoming the next Edmonton Oilers. So my first question to you is this: How much of the Oilers’ struggles can be...